New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Dueriimbu’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea  Impatiens  plant named ‘Dueriimbu’, characterized by its upright, rounded and uniform plant habit; vigorous growth habit; dark green-colored leaves; freely branching and freely flowering habit; and red purple-colored flowers that are positioned above and beyond the leaves.

Botanical denomination: Impatiens hawkeri.

Cultivar designation: ‘Dueriimbu’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dueriimbu’.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new freely branching New Guinea Impatiens cultivars that flower early and have large flowers.

The new Impatiens originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in May, 1998 of a proprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeri identified as code number S-018-01, not patented, as the female, or seed parent, with a proprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeri identified as code number 94-152-2, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The cultivar Dueriimbu was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Rheinberg, Germany in May, 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in Rheinberg, Germany since May, 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Dueriimbu’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Dueriimbu’ as a new and distinct Impatiens cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright, rounded and uniform plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   4. Freely branching and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Red purple-colored flowers that are positioned above and         beyond the leaves.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens were more vigorous than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens and the female parent selection         differed in flower color.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens were more compact than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens and the male parent selection         differed in flower color.

Plants of the new Impatiens can also be compared to plants of the cultivar Fisnics Purple, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,728. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of the cultivar Fisnics Purple in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens were larger and had longer         internodes than plants of the cultivar Fisnics Purple.     -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens had smaller leaves than plants of         the cultivar Fisnics Purple.     -   3. Plants of the new Impatiens and the cultivar Fisnics Purple         differed slightly in flower color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Impatiens. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Dueriimbu’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Dueriimbu has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during the spring, under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse. Plants were about 16 weeks from cuttings and were grown in 12-cm containers. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 18° C. and light levels were about 4,500 lux.

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Dueriimbu. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeri             identified as code number S-018-01, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Proprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeri             identified as code number 94-152-2, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 7 days at 22° C.             Winter: About 10 days at 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Summer: About 18 days at             22° C. Winter: About 25 days at 22° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous and white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Upright, rounded and uniform plant             habit; freely branching and flowering habit. Vigorous growth             habit.         -   Crop time.—From unrooted cuttings, about 16 weeks are             required to produce finished flowering plants in 12-cm             containers.         -   Plant height.—About 24 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 26 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: About eight. Length:             About 21 cm. Diameter: About 8 mm. Internode length: About             5.5 cm. Color: 146B overlain with 178A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite or in whorls.             Length: About 8.6 cm. Width: About 4 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:             Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Serrulate with ciliation.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             leathery. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing             foliage, upper surface: 147A. Developing foliage, lower             surface: 147B to 147C. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             139A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: 147B to 147C.             Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 59B.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 3.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: 59B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single red purple-colored             flowers. Flowers rounded and mostly flat. Freely and             continuously flowering; usually about eight flowers and             flower buds per lateral branch. Flowers positioned above and             beyond the foliage and typically face upward or outward.             Petals self-cleaning; gynoecium persistent. Flowers not             fragrant.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about one week on the plant.         -   Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions; in             the garden, flowering from spring until fall. Plants begin             flowering about eight weeks after planting.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About 9 mm.             Shape: Ovoid. Color: 59A.         -   Flower diameter.—About 5.3 cm by 5.4 cm.         -   Flower depth (excluding spur).—About 7 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity: Five per flower, imbricate. Length: About             3.1 cm. Width: About 3.2 cm. Shape: Obcordate. Apex:             Cordate. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Color: When             opening and fully opened, upper surface: 74A; color becoming             closer to 74B with development. When opening and fully             opened, lower surface: 74B.         -   Spur.—Quantity: One per flower. Length: About 4.6 cm.             Diameter: At apex: Less than 1 mm. At flower: About 2.5 mm.             Aspect: Curved downward. Color: 59A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 6.1 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong; flexible. Color: 59A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen             quantity/arrangement: Five fused at anthers, hooded;             filaments free. Anther length: About 5 mm. Anther shape:             Oval. Anther color: 61B and 157C. Pollen amount: Abundant.             Pollen color: 11D. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity: One per             flower. Pistil length: About 5 mm. Stigma color: 145D. Style             length: Less than 1 mm. Style color: 145D. Ovary             arrangement: Five-celled. Ovary color: 136A.         -   Seeds/fruits.—Seed and fruit development has not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Impatiens. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Impatiens have been     observed to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from 8° C. to 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Dueriimbu’, as illustrated and described. 